State of Iowa

IOWA STATE MOTTO: Our liberties we prize, and our rights we will maintain.

IOWA STATE BIRD: American Goldfinch

IOWA STATE FLOWER: Wild Rose

IOWA STATE TREE: Oak

IOWA STATE CAPITAL: Des Moines

Iowa's Event Calendar

Iowa's Best

The Internationally recognized
Orange City Tulip Festival has been held the third weekend in May ever since 1936. The internationally recognized Festival features music and dancing by children and adults in authentic Dutch costumes, two daily parades, nightly musical theatre, a carnival midway, Dutch delicacies, delicious food, plus thousands of tulips and a dozen replica windmills throughout this charming village. What about the rest of the year you ask? This town is full of charm! Come visit year round and experience the unique Blue Mountain Culinary Emporium … the distinct “Dutch Village” style shopping, parks, windmills, arts, culture and our award-winning golf course.

Biking and hiking enthusiasts are sure to enjoy the
High Trestle Trail. A former railroad bridge that spans across the Des Moines River, located between Woodward and Madrid, is the focal point of the trail. This one half mile “destination bridge” rises 13 stories high with special lighting and six overlook spots where people can step aside and enjoy the views. This trail bridge is the fifth largest in the world! Trailheads are located in the cities of Ankeny, Sheldahl, Slater, Madrid, and Woodward, Iowa. This 25 mile segment is a major link in a proposed plan to create two 100-mile trail loops that meet near Des Moines.

There is always something happening at the
National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium in Dubuque, Iowa. From exciting changing exhibits to special weekend events, there's a new adventure at every turn! Now Open!
An indoor water fall greets you as you prepare to celebrate America's great rivers. The immersive RiverWays gallery invites you to enter a canal, explore a river cave; and discover the history, culture, artifacts, and people of the diverse and watery interior of the United States.RiverWorks invites children of all ages to explore through hands-on, water-based activities, they learn about rivers and what rivers mean to all of us. This children's "museum within a museum" keeps its river focus, with a crawl through beaver lodge, water table and a pedal-powered water "cycle." The Large Format 3D/4D Immersion Theater presents 3D high definition sights, and 4D special effects including dramatic sound, wind, mist, seat movement and smells of the on-screen action.